Shoe



Nov. 4, 1941. F. l. McFEELY I SHOE 2 Sheets-Skies; 1

Filed June 26, 1 940 In ventof a w W r j 0 A iiorney Nov. 4, 1941.

F. I. McFEELY 2,261,125

SHOE I Filed June 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I SHOE Frances I, McFeely, Santa Fe, N. Mex.

Application June 26, 1940, Serial No. 342,550 1 Claim. "(01. 36-25) This invention relates broadly to wearing appareI and more partieularly to shoes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shoe wherein the sole and upper are mutually separable so that one form or color of upper may be readilysubstituted for another, thus dispensing with the need of buying several pairs of shoes. As for example, in accordance with the present invention, one shoe with several styles and colors of uppers may be purchased, and the upper best fitted 'for the costume to be worn with the shoe may be readily used in connection with the sole of the shoe so as to provide footwear in conformity with the style of clothing being worn.

Further in accordance with the present invention means is provided whereby the upper and sole may be, in a detachable manner, readily secured together and without requiring any material degree of skill. 4 v

The invention, together with its objects and advantages, will be best understood from a study I of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

. Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe embodying the features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a shoe upper embodying the featuresof the present invention and with a portion of the shoe upper folded back.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken 30 substantially on the line 32-3. of Figure l.

"Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the shoe sole. 1

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the shoe sole assembly shown in Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top planview of the complete shoe at the heel part thereof.

In accordancewith the present invention the shoe is provided with the usual outer sole 5 and, if desired, and as shown, a heel 4.

Also for the shoe there is provided an inner sole 6 that preferably extends for the full length of the shoe.

For giving the necessary rigidity and supportthe like and in any variety of colors in order to have inexpensive replacements available for changing the appearance of the entire shoe in order that theshoe will conform to the costume being worn and to avoid, as previously stated,

- the necessity of purchasing several pairs of shoes.

Also, the style of the shoe upper 10 may be as found desirable, and as would conform to the uppers of shoes known as ties, or pumps, or Oxfords, or strap slippers, or the like.

Further in accordance with the present invention the shoe upper at the rear of the heel thereof is open, and the ends of the upper formed by this opening are detachably connected together through the medium of a conventional slide fastener I I, the slide 12 of which may be equipped with any suitable ornament such as simulations of small bells, acorns, pine cones, and the like.

Also in accordance with the present invention the upper l0 and sole 5 are provided with complemental means for detachably connecting said upper and sole together. In the present instance such means is shown as being in the form of a slide fastener indicated generally by the reference numeral 13, and one-half of the slide fastener is stitched or otherwise secured to the sole or base edge of the shoe upper In for the entire circumference of the upper, while the other or complemental half of the fastener has the body strip I clearly shown.

Also the slide 15 for the slide fastener l3 may be in the form of an ornament such as suggested with regard to the slide l2 of the slide fastener II.

It will be seen that when the upper I0 is properly applied to the sole 5 that the bridge or supporting strap 8 for the toe section of the upper l0, and the heel counter l will fit snugly and conformably within the confines of the'upper l0 and will serve to give the necessary support to the upper.

m qualities to the shoeI t Sole 5 is also 5 At this time it might be observed that if the vided with a suitable heel counter-structure 1 4 while disposed across the toe portion of the shoe is a supporting strap 8 of any suitable material that has an edge 9 to conform to the instep, and

material for the shoe upper is of a very fragile nature, such as is used in the construction of evening slippers for ladies, the supporting strap 8 should be of such a shape and extended form is secured at its ends to the outer sole 5 by being as to provide substantially a complete toe top "to stitched or otherwise secured thereto.

The detachable shoe upper is indicated by the reference numeral l0 and is preferably complete initself, and may be made of any suitable materialsuch as gabardine, linen,-lastex, leather, or

furnish a proper backing for such materials to the end that the upper and the toe thereof will maintain its proper shape.

It is believed that the many advantages of a shoe embodying the features of the present in- Htherof stitched or otherwise permanently sevention will be had without further detailed description thereof.

It is also to be understood that while I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment or the invention, it is in no wise intended to restrict the invention to the precise details of construction, combination and arrangement of elements as herein illustrated, other than as may be required by the prior art and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

As a new article of manufacture, a shoe embodying mutually separable sole and upper, a substantially arched supporting strap for the toe portion of the upper extending transversely of said sole and secured at its respective opposite ends to said sole, a heel counter secured to the sole at the heel section thereof and fitting conformably within the heel portion of said upper; a slide fastener tape secured to the marginal edge of said sole and extending entirely about said sole, a slide fastening tape secured to the lower edge of said upper, and a slide fastener element engaging said tapes and coacting therewith tor detachably securing said upper and sole together; and said upper being formed of a single piece of material having mutually separable ends at the back of the heel portion of the upper, slide fastener tapes secured to said ends, and a slide fastener engaging said tapes and cooperable therewith for detachably securing said ends of the upper together.

FRANCES I. McFEELY. 

